I'm not a big fan of wheeled luggage. Too much hassle for me. Para sa akin, it's only really useful if you're taking a taxi or an Uber straight to your hotel from the airport. And most times, I don't want to do this, for me, my itinerary becomes limited if I have to go straight to the hotel upon arrival.
I usually travel extremely light, so carry-on only. The only time I check luggage is for business trips that are over 3 weeks. Anything less, or if for personal travel, check-in lang.
I'm also not a big fan of backpacks, too kiddie para sa akin, haha. I've been searching high and low for the perfect bag, but haven't really found it yet.
Right now I use a Killspencer Weekender as my main bag. It's ok most of the time, but isn't ideal if I'm not filling it up. I've been searching for a more compact replacement, though I haven't found one yet. I came close to getting a Tom Bihn Western Flyer, but I'm not totally sold on it yet.
Gusto ko sana, a bag that rewards packing light, but is able to expand if needed. And something that is rugged enough to take to the likes of Vietnam or Palawan, but is sleek enough for Tokyo or NYC. I've looked at a bunch of Tumi and Samsonite options, but didn't find anything interesting. The Outlier Ultrahigh and the SDR Traveller D3 looked ok, but were too outdoorsy for my taste. I liked the Hard Graft Square1 Holdall, pricey, looks good for urban destinations but not ideal for less urban destinations. I've been scouring the carryology website, pero mukhang I'll end up with 2 bags - one for urban/work and one for 'backpacking' style destinations.
For those looking to pack light - isa lang ang advise ko - merino wool is your friend. Yes, it's pricey, up to 4-5K for a single basic tee-shirt plus shipping pa, since it's hard to come by locally, but it's worth it, IMO. Esp. if you travel a lot. Good as a single layer for hot and humid places, and good as a base layer for colder destinations. And, you can pretty much wear merino wear up to 3-4 days without washing, hindi siya babaho. Just air it out at night. Also, look into companies using "tech wear" fabrics - e.g Outlier, Rapha, ArcTeryx, even some Uniqlo stuff etc.. etc.. madami sila ngayon, puro online only. You'll get 4-way stretch, water resistant stuff, and stuff that is very quick drying and NOT look like you're about to climb Mt Everest.